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SUMMARY

Often brightly coloured and with a distinctive hovering flight pattern, hoverflies are one of the most easily recognisable of the dipteran families. Some species are mimics of wasps and bees, which initially may cause some confusion, however careful observation of their behaviour and anatomy will confirm that they are flies (Diptera) and not Hymenoptera.

Hoverflies are the most widely recorded families of Diptera in the Outer Hebrides, however in comparison with other regions they are under-recorded. New species are still being added to the list for the islands and for many species knowledge of their distribution is very limited.